Electric conduit.



No. 7|3,|23. Patented Nov. II, I902.

A. M. LOUGEE.

ELECTRIC CONDUIT.

(Application filed Dec. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.)

id 71535663: 414/ M as 7% W '6 UNITED STAT S PATENT AMANDA M. LOUGEE, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CLIFTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,123, dated November'11, 1 902.

I Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,345. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, AMANDA M. LOUGEE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Boston, county of Sufiolk,State of Massachusetts,

5 have invented an Improvement in Electric Conduits, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Mypresent invention is an insulating-conduit for electric conductors,and has for its primary object the provision of a conduit having itsinsulating-lining joined. to the armor practically as one piece andsubstan-' tially homogeneous throughout the lining body, the innersurface of the lining in the most complete embodiment of my inventionbeing fire-resisting, and hard or not easily;

injured. In carrying out my invention 1 formthe insulating-lining ofmaterial which is at once flexible or yielding, permitting the conduitto be bent without injury, waterproof or.non absorbent, and preferablyhaving a sleek hard. outer finish at the inner surface, said liningbeing fire-resisting, affording higher insulation than heretofore, andbeing capable of practical application in thin layers, therebypermitting the reduction in size of the-armor or outsideprotecting-cover and reducing the liability of injury to thelining whenthe conduit is cut or roughlyhandled. 7

Another important feature of my invention resides in vulcanizing thelining directly 5 to the iron of the armor, there .being a soft saidfigure illustrating the composition and 50 construction of theinsulating-lining. Figs.

2, 3, and at are plan views, partly in section, showing an armor inprocess of manufacture, Fig. 2 showing the cementitious layer or coating, Fig. 3 showing all the parts assembled, 5 5 and Fig. 4 showing thefinished conduit after the foundation layer of the lining-sheet hasbeenremoved, it being understood that in Figs. 3 and 4' the relativethickness of the lining is grossly exaggerated in order that theconstruction may be seen.

For convenience of manufacture the insu- .lating-lining' is preparedfirst in sheet form,

earithysubstance, or any. prepared mass or mixture'of fireproofmateria'lmixed with suitable vulcanizable material, suchas rubber or equivalentoxidized oils, as commonly practiced in the rubber art, together with adrier and vulcanizing agentas, for example, litharge and sulfur. On thelayer 1) are also placed, preferably in successive coats, a layer c ofrelatively soft material, such as rubber. Preferably the coatings fromthe bottommost coating next the foundation ato the last coatingappliedcontain sulfur or other well-known vulcani zin'g agent in diminishingquantities, so that when the entire sheet or liningis vulcanized themica-containing layer will have a backing of relatively soft or morepliable waterproof and resilient material betweenit and the armor. Ontop of the said intermediate 0 and softer layer a I preferably apply acoat dof cementitious substance, preferably a vulcanizable naphthasolution of rubber,anddust over this coating a layer. of dry antimony orother vulcanizing powder g. lalsogcoat the 5 inside of the armor c witha layer f of a like cementitious solution, preferably adding to suchcommon solvent of rubber, as naphtha,

a quantity of bisulfid of carbon, which I have found to be superior,because of its ability to dissolve rubber, sulfur, and partly thelitharge and hold the same in a freely-flowing state capable of beingspread thinly and evenly over a surface and run freely through anypipe,however small. Bisulfid of carbon is advantageous principallybecause of its complete disintegration of the rubber and being capableof holding a vulcanizing amount of sulfur in solution.

The parts having been assembled as shown in Fig. 3, the whole isvulcanized, thereby melting the layer 9, so that it no longer appears assuch and at the same time directly vulcanizing the lining and uniting itto the iron.

Of course it will be understood that I prefer to employ all the detailsof construction thus far explained, although I do not limit myself to aconduit embodying invariably all these features, as useful andadvantageous results are obtained when a part only thereof are employed,whether alone or in connection with features now known in the art.

For especially high-grade conduit for serving with currents of anextremely high voltags I form the interior of the conduit with a layerof vulcanite thoroughly united with and vulcanized to the interior wallsof the pipe, the whole constituting an integral mass, the same asalready described, and I wish it understood that I use the termvulcanite in its larger meaning, including not only hard-rubbersubstance, but such materials of a fibrous and celluloid nature as arecapable of being treated and mixed according to my invention; also,while it is of advantage to employ the coating 9 for mechanical andchemical purposes, as more fully explained in my concurrent application,Serial No. 84,344, for a patent on the method, I do not limit thispresent conduit application thereto.

Excepting as required by the claims I do not intend to limit myself asto the binding agent necessary to bring about the homogeneous mass byvulcanization, as described, as this can be accomplished with any of thewell-known vulcanizing agencies.

The main purpose of the foundation a is merely to hold the lining inplace until vulcanized, when it is pulled out in any convenient manner.It will be understood that this sheet material is capable of a greatvariety of uses because of its peculiar composition, fireproofqualities, durability, flexibility, &c., and I intend the same to bebroadly covered by certain of my claims.

The conduit is preferably covered on the outside of the armor with acoating of rubber or other water-resisting substance h, which isvulcanized thereto in the same manner as already described in connectionwith the lining, this exterior cover being for the purpose of resistingthe effects of electrolysis. I have found that the latter is the causeof many defects which develop in conduits located in exposed positions,sufiering from dampness, changes in the atmosphere, or any of thecorroding influences iron is subject to.

One great advantage of my present conduit is that by having the liningproper secured integrally, as it were, directly to the armor without anintermediate layer there is no liability of the lining separating fromthe armor when bent; but the two are formed practically of one piece, itbeing understood by those skilled in the art that when the vulcanizingtakes place the layer f disappears as such and becomes incorporated inthe adjacent surfaces, binding them together directly to each other, therubber coming against rubber, making an integral tube.

Having a hard and smooth interior surface or finish to the liningdiminishes the possibility of serious friction between the conduit andwires being hauled through the same, and also said hard surface, beingcomposed of mica and asbestos or similar substances, insures much betterfire protection, gives better insulation, and enables me to make a muchthinner lining than before, while at the same time the intermediatepliable layer or soft backing of the fire-resisting outer layer givesextreme pliability and strength or absence of tendency to rupture andpermits maximum bending without injury.

One great advantage of my invention also resides in the fact that theselayers are in no sense distinct from each other, as would be the casewere successive sheets stuck or cemented together; but they are integralwith each other, being entirely homogeneous, excepting that the degreeor extent of vulcanization diminishes from the inner hard surface towardthe armor.

By reason of the thorough adhesion or prao tically unitary nature of thelining and armor and also by reason of the interior integral coatingthereof of talc, &c., composition a solidity and firmness are providedwhich largely obviate the danger of abrasure by the hauling of cablespast bends, curves, oifsets, &c.,which has been especially dangerousheretofore in the larger-sized conduits.

The degree of vulcanization and extent or proportion of other featuresemployed may be varied, as already stated. The difierent layers offlexible insulating material may be employ ed separately compounded,each varying from the other either in fire-resisting or insulating andpliability giving qualities. For example, if an extremely highfire-resisting and insulating conduit is desired these features may beimparted to the conduit in a high degree by employing throughout themass an admixture of the powdered asbestos, mica, and the like, asstated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. An insulating-conduit comprising an ar* mor having aninsulating-lining provided with an interior hard surface andanintermediate softer layer.

5. An insulating-conduit comprising an armor provided with aninsulating-lining consisting of a rubber compound vulcanized directly tothe armor, said lining having decreasing degrees of vulcanization fromits interior surface toward the armor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

AMANDA M. LOUGEE.

WVitnesses:

M. E. CAHILL, O. J. DONLAN.

